Overview
- Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, were convicted on Dec. 23 of preparing terrorist acts, and Saadaoui’s brother Bilel, 36, was found guilty of failing to disclose information.
- Police said the men sought assault rifles and were stopped when an undercover operative supplied deactivated weapons during a May 8 operation.
- Prosecutors said the planned mass shooting targeted Jewish areas of Prestwich and Higher Broughton, and the pair told an officer that killing Christians would be “a bonus.”
- Tabloid reports say the two are on a standard regime at HMP Preston with access to canteen money, TV/DVDs, the gym and education; the Ministry of Justice said it could not comment on prisoner locations.
- Hussein was repeatedly disruptive in court and later told police he was “proud to be a terrorist”; sentencing for all three is set for Feb. 13, 2026.